Book review: Everyday Chaos, by David Weinberger
Much of leadership is knowing the answer, or at least knowing the process needed to come up with the right answer.
We use technology to solve problems, meet needs, compete with other businesses, hold us accountable for what we do, and more.
But what if we're arriving at a time when we're unable to understand the processes behind the answers that technology is giving us? The answers may be accurate, correct, and exactly what we were looking for. But how did we get them?
Much of that question and thought process runs through the book, Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility, by David Weinberger (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019). Honestly, when I started reading this book, I wasn't sure what I was getting into.
The content was compelling for leadership, especially leadership in the local church. But it was even more compelling for an uncertain world that's becoming even more invested in technology, AI, and machines that can learn, adapt, react, and change on their own.
I also read this book pre-COVID-19, but its implications and applications are almost more relevant now than they were before. Our reliance on technology has only increased. As we move into a world now wary of social contact, leaving home, and face-to-face interactions, it will be interesting to see what sorts of AI develop and how we use the technology to develop a vaccine, track people who have contracted the virus, keep track of who has had it, who hasn’t, where new outbreaks come up, and more.
We live in times filled with everyday chaos. Technology is here to stay. How can we use it wisely, realizing it can do amazing things, while at the same remaining cognizant of its dangers? There’s no easy answer, but this book gets the conversation started, and I would encourage any and every leader to read it.
 | Ben Marshall is a Pastor at Pathway Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He works with teenagers and young adults. He is passionate about leadership and raising up the next generation of biblical leaders. He is a blogger, guitar player and sports enthusiast. Ben currently resides in Beaver Falls with his wife Connie and their two daughters, Aliya and Sophie Learn More » |
More on Book Reviews
- Book review: Building a Storybrand (by Richard Blackaby)
- Book review: He Leadeth Me (by Richard Blackaby)
- Book review: Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead (by Richard Blackaby)
- Book review: Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting, by Derek Prince (by Richard Blackaby)
